Selection Sunday is the most high-stakes holiday in college basketball. On March 15, 2026, the stage is officially set as 136 teams (68 men’s and 68 women’s) discover their exact seeds, regions, and first-round matchups for the Big Dance.
With massive storylines dominating the 2026 season—from Duke’s powerhouse roster and the Florida Gators defending their national title to Cinderella hopefuls lying low in the wings—the anticipation is at an all-time high. To see where the top seeds land and if your alma mater made the cut, you need to be tuned in during the late afternoon and early evening to watch the brackets unfold live.
Since the men’s and women’s shows air on entirely different networks, you need a solid game plan to catch every moment of the madness. I put together this guide to show you exactly how to watch Selection Sunday without a hitch.
What channel is Selection Sunday on?
You can watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Show on CBS and Paramount+ Premium. Tracking down the men’s bracket reveal can be confusing because the broadcast rights rotate annually between CBS and TBS, but CBS is your official home for this season.
Meanwhile, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show airs exclusively on ESPN. Unlike the men’s tournament, the women’s broadcast rights don’t rotate between networks.
2026 Selection Sunday TV schedule
This season’s entire bracket reveal takes place on Sunday, March 15, with the proceedings officially beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. You’ll want to note the specific start times below so you don’t miss the first regions being announced.
Selection Sunday acts as the initial spark that ignites March Madness. Once the brackets are locked, teams immediately begin preparing for the First Four, with the opening games tipping off on Tuesday, March 17. The chaotic, single-elimination basketball action then runs non-stop before both tournaments wrap up in early April.
| Event | Day | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA Men's Selection Show | Sunday, March 15 | 6:00 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ Premium |
| NCAA Women's Selection Show | Sunday, March 15 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
Best TV plans for watching Selection Sunday
When it comes to recommending a TV plan for Selection Sunday, it feels silly to recommend a service that just gets you the bracket reveal. After all, the selection shows are merely the appetizer for the biggest event in college sports. If you’re putting together a streaming setup in mid-March, you want a plan that delivers the entire tournament experience.
Here are my top TV plan recommendations based on exactly how much of the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments you want to see.
Best of the Best: Hulu + Live TV
Fans looking for complete coverage of both the men’s and women’s tournaments will find Hulu + Live TV ($88.99–$99.99/mo.) to be the ultimate top pick. It includes your local CBS affiliate for the men’s selection show and ESPN for the women’s broadcast.
More importantly, it carries every ESPN and TNT Sports channel, giving you all the networks required to watch every game of March Madness. Of course, that’s a lot of basketball to keep an eye on. But Hulu + Live TV’s unlimited DVR and My Stuff watchlist allow you to easily follow specific teams and record all the action.
Best for the Women’s Tournament: ESPN Unlimited
Viewers who only care about the women’s side of the bracket can skip the expensive live TV packages entirely. ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/mo.) is Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, and it’s the easiest way to follow the women’s tournament.
A subscription guarantees you live access to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show, plus every single game of the women’s tournament. Even better, the ESPN app includes a multiview feature that’s perfect for keeping tabs on all the overlapping action.
Best for the Men’s Tournament: Paramount+ Premium
If you’re strictly focused on the men’s bracket reveal but don’t want to pay for a robust live TV plan, Paramount+ Premium ($13.99/mo.) is your best budget option. Logging into the app gives you a live feed of your local CBS station, allowing you to stream the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Show on your favorite device.
Just keep in mind that this subscription excludes the women’s show on ESPN, and it only covers the portion of the men’s tournament that airs on CBS. To stay away from a live TV service, you can pair Paramount+ Premium with HBO Max‘s Standard tier to unlock the rest of the men’s tournament.
How to watch Selection Sunday for free
If you’re looking to catch the bracket reveals without spending a dime, your easiest option is an over-the-air (OTA) antenna. Tuning into your local CBS station lets you watch the men’s selection show for free, completely bypassing the need for a monthly TV subscription.
Alternatively, live TV streaming services like DIRECTV and Fubo often offer free trials. If you strategically sign up for a trial on Selection Sunday, you can watch both the men’s and women’s reveals, plus the First Four games later that week.
Finally, the NCAA typically provides a free preview stream of the reveals on its March Madness Live app and website. Just keep in mind that this preview typically has a strict time limit, and a valid TV provider login is required for complete access.
How to watch Selection Sunday FAQ
Can I watch Selection Sunday on demand?
Yes. Replays and highlights of the selection shows are typically uploaded to the NCAA's March Madness YouTube channel and the ESPN app shortly after the live broadcasts conclude.
Who are the announcers for Selection Sunday?
For the men's show on CBS, expect Adam Zucker or Greg Gumbel to lead the coverage alongside analysts Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis. For the women's show on ESPN, Elle Duncan usually hosts the broadcast with analysts like Rebecca Lobo and Andraya Carter.
What time are the Selection Sunday shows?
The NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Show will air at 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS. The NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show follows shortly after, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
When does March Madness actually begin?
The action tips off with the First Four games just two days after the bracket reveals. The men's tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17, while the women's tournament starts the following day on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
